Unforgivable Lessons
by Owlbait
Summary: Multifaceted Winner! Bellatrix Black teaches the young Severus Snape to cast the Unforgivable Curses. When he masters them, and her, he is worthy of the Dark Mark. Rating is for sexual themes, some strong language. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** This story describes how I envisioned the young Severus being seduced into taking the Dark Mark. It's not going to cover his subsequent change of heart, so don't expect a happy ending. This is a dark, dark story. 

I originally conceived this as background information for "Rowan's Secret". It grew too large for a flashback, three chapters. It also has a very different tone from that story so I decided to post it on its own.

The lemony bits are not terribly explicit, as these things go, but Bellatrix is one really disturbing witch. You have been warned.

Thanks to Verity for beta reading, I hope I didn't wear out your fan.

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**Chapter 1: A Surprise Visitor**

It was late. Severus had a heavy course-load, even for a seventh-year, and he took his studies seriously. His roommates were already in bed asleep, he noted, as he climbed into his four-poster bed and drew the heavy green curtains closed.

Another evening spent trying to concentrate in the library, forced to swallow bile while he ignored Potter and Evans snogging between the stacks. What did she see in that cretin anyway?

Finally he had some privacy, and could take care of his inevitable problem so he could get to sleep. Severus waved his wand and cast a silencing charm on the bed, and an imperturbable one on the curtains. He really didn't want any of his roommates to hear a telltale sound, or come over and annoy him, if one happened to be awake.

Assured of his privacy, Severus took matters in hand, all the while envisioning a certain pair of startling green eyes, and imagining all the charms that went with them.

Just as events were approaching their climax, Severus was startled by a heavy weight dropping onto the bed by his feet. His eyes snapped open as he dropped what he was doing and grabbed his wand. It was a girl, no -- a woman, and he knew her. Dark haired, heavy lidded, lushly curved; Bellatrix Black.

What was she doing here? Two years older, she'd pretty well ignored him while she was still at school. Now she was betrothed to Rodolphus Lestrange, the standard matching of wealthy purebloods. They seemed suited to each other though, which again begged the question: what is she doing here?

Severus pulled down his nightshirt and kept his wand aimed at the woman. "What are you doing here?" he asked suspiciously, trying to slow his breathing. Beautiful young women did not mysteriously appear in your bed, just when you could really use one -- not in any Snape-based reality.

Bellatrix laughed. "Put that thing down, Severus. If I were going to curse you, you'd already be screaming."

She did have a point, Severus thought, sitting up and lowering the wand. "How did you get here?"

"Portkey," she answered smugly.

"You can make those? to somewhere you've never been?" Severus was impressed, despite himself.

"What makes you think I've never been here?" Bellatrix laughed again. Her laugh was disturbing, as if her notion of humor was pretty distant from the rest of witch-kind.

Likely true, Severus thought, if rumor had any basis. Still an accomplishment: making Portkeys wasn't easy. "So again, why are you here?"

"I came to see you."

"Obviously," Severus sneered. "And you got quite an eyeful. Didn't see enough down by the lake two years ago?" _Merlin's balls! What on earth made me remind her of that incident? I must be twice the idiot she thinks me_.

"You were still a boy then. But you definitely showed ... potential. Which you appear to be living up to," Bellatrix said, her toungue darting out to lick her lower lip. Severus' breath caught in his throat.

"Rumor has it," Bellatrix continued, "you know a lot of curses. Is it true?"

Severus' left eyebrow rose. Was there such a rumor? It was true, of course, but he hadn't realized people were talking. "Yes, I know quite a few more than I generally let on."_ Don't tell me she's come here for Dark Magic lessons? From what I've heard, she could be teaching at Durmstrang._

Bellatrix leaned forward onto her hands and leaned close to Severus. She brought her full lips close to his ear and asked in a low, dusky voice that sent a shiver through him: "Have you ever tried an Unforgivable?"

Severus had been just at the edge of release when Bellatrix had appeared, and her close proximity wasn't making matters any easier on him. He smelled her scent; she wore no perfume, just her own heated aroma. He desperately wished he could tell her what he knew she wanted to hear, but he had a canny feeling she would detect a lie. "No, I've never tried one."

"I could teach you," she answered, "if you're man enough to learn."

Severus hissed, this time in shock. He wasn't so surprised that she knew the Unforgivables, but she'd teach him? It was too good a chance to miss; he only wished he knew what she was after.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"You are going to be a very powerful wizard, Severus. Someone I know thinks you could go very far, if only you learn to dispense..." Bellatrix unclasped the front of her robe, "with certain..." which slipped from her shoulders, "inhibitions..." She was completely nude underneath. Severus' eyes widened and it took all the control he could muster to keep from just grabbing her.

"Shall I start the first lesson?" she asked seductively.

"Yes," Severus managed to groan in answer.

"Imperio!" Bellatrix snapped.

Suddenly Severus felt wholly relaxed, almost carefree. There was a helpful voice in his head suggesting exactly what he should be doing. It was so nice to just listen to the voice, and not have to think for himself. Bella wouldn't laugh at him, he wouldn't do anything wrong, as long as he just obeyed that voice.

How easy it was. She leaned back and allowed him to touch her. He stroked her and sighed. He kissed her body, she tasted salty. Following that voice, he moved lower.

Severus was good at following instructions; in a short time, Bella shrieked her release. She knew the bed would be silenced, or she didn't give a damn.

When she caught her breath, Bellatrix sat up and slid her robe back on, deftly slipping her wand and hand through the sleeve without loosening her grip.

_"Finite Incantatem,"_ she said, caressing Severus with the end of her wand and her now husky voice.

The curse was released and his free will came rushing back. Severus sat up and looked at Bellatrix, shocked both at what she had made him do, and how easily he had gone under her control. Clearly she had had plenty of practice at that spell. Bellatrix was a very, very dangerous woman.

She was flushed and breathing hard, the very image of satisfied female, but Severus had the distinct feeling he had disappointed.

This notion was reinforced when Bellatrix said coolly, "That was most amusing Severus, but next time, try to fight it. If I'd wanted a Squib, I'd go screw Filch. At least he has whips." With that disheartening speech, she touched an item in her pocket and vanished from the bed. She left an aching and disturbed Severus wondering what the hell that had all been about. Still, he was intrigued at the promise of a next time, and vowed things would go differently.

Severus spent his free time over the next several days haunting the restricted section. As a N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts student, he had free access. That was, after all, the main purpose those books were kept at Hogwarts. Bellatrix was a living, breathing Dark Art, and Severus had better learn to defend himself. He studied assiduously everything he could find about the Imperius Curse, especially anything about how to fight it. Severus had always been a bright student, with a particular interest in the Dark Arts, but now he was seriously motivated.

The trick, according to the texts, was to find that other voice. The one that said _why would I want to do that? No, I don't think I will._ Listen for the obstinate voice, learn to identify it from the soothing, seductive spell voice. He didn't remember even a whisper of that voice when Bella had cursed him that time. Of course, she'd 'forced' him to do something he was pretty well willing to in the first place. Maybe that kept the other voice quiet.

The problem with Unforgivable curses was finding someone to practice them with. Imperio was the easiest, since it did no lasting damage, but finding a practice partner was nigh onto impossible. Slytherins all wanted to learn it and practice it, but none of them would let another cast it on them. Hard to blame them, who'd trust another Slytherin? And who else wanted to learn the Imperius Curse?

Severus certainly wouldn't have allowed Bellatrix to do it to him, if he'd had the foggiest notion that was what she planned. Of course, his thinking was pretty damned foggy at the time, and he'd bet his last Knut she knew that; had known it, when she Portkeyed to his bed at night.

A couple of weeks later, an owl arrived with a note for Severus while he was walking outside on the grounds. It said only: _Meet me at the edge of the Forest, at midnight_. Well, here's my chance, Severus thought. He hoped he had studied enough.

That night, he stayed in the library till closing, then instead of going back to the Slytherin dorm, he concealed himself behind a suit of armor in the entrance hall. Severus was everything that was shadowed and patient; waiting there was no hardship. Soon it was time to leave. He wrapped himself in his cloak and silenced his steps. A whispered unlocking charm on a side door, and he was slipping across the grounds to the Forest, wand at the ready.

If he had hoped to get the jump on Bellatrix, he might as well have wished for the moon. She had him screaming under the Cruciatus curse before he'd even known she was there. She let it up after only a couple of minutes -- but those had been two very, very long minutes. Still, as he'd writhed on the leaves of the forest floor, the analytical part of his mind was thinking _aha, so that's how it works_. He knew, now, he'd be able to cast the spell when he needed to.

Once again, Bellatrix put him under the Imperius Curse. This time she did it as soon as she'd lifted the Cruciatus, before he could even draw a breath to speak a spell. He tried to find that voice the books spoke of, the stubborn, uncooperative one. Hell, you'd think considering his normal personality, that wouldn't be so hard! Wait, there it was. Just a whisper at the very back of his mind. A grouchy, sullen voice that said "I won't."

Before he could latch onto that voice, it was drowned out by the soothing suggestion of the spell he was under. This is what you want anyway, the spell voice said. You want to please this beautiful, sexy woman. Just listen to me, I'll tell you exactly what to do...

When Bellatrix was through amusing herself with Severus, she released the curse and vanished silently into the Forest. Once again, she'd used him and left him frustrated and annoyed. Once again, he'd learned something from her; something he couldn't have learned anywhere else. She was strong, but he felt that he was stronger -- only her greater experience gave her the advantage over him. He was sure if he worked hard enough, he would be able to overcome her. Then he'd see how she liked being controlled.


	2. Lessons Are Learned

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and a big thank you to Verity Brown for beta reading! 

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**Chapter 2: Lessons Are Learned**

The next time they met was in the underground harbor where the boats for the first year lake crossing were stowed. Severus got there first and hid in one of the boats. None of the wall sconces were lit, and when Severus dimmed his wand, the cavern was in complete darkness. Even after his eyes adjusted, he could wave his moonlight-pale fingers right in front of his face but see nothing. Patience was one of the few virtues for which he had any respect. He waited.

This time Bellatrix didn't arrive by Portkey, instead she came down the damp stone steps. Her footsteps were silenced, but he heard the whisper of her robes against the stone wall and smelled her scent riding on the dank breeze generated by her movement. When he was certain he had her located, he aimed his wand and shouted, _"Crucio!"_

Bellatrix howled as she was knocked off her feet and landed writhing on the pebbled beach. Before Severus had time to gloat, though, she was on her feet again, panting heavily and gripping her wand._ "Stupify!"_ she cried, snapping her wand sharply at him. Red fire flashed; Severus was thrown back out of the boat and landed in the water with a splash.

Unable to move, the dark, still waters closed over his head. He was frozen by the spell and the cold, and in any case, he couldn't swim. In the black and weightless world under the surface, he didn't know if he could find which way was up even if he could move.

His bursting lungs were just about to insist he attempt to breathe the lake water, over even his most strenuous objections, when he felt himself swiftly rising. In only a few seconds, his head broke the surface, and he gasped lungfuls of chilly air. He kept rising until he was hovering over the harbor, then floated across and landed on his feet on the pier, a little in front of Bellatrix. He could see her now by the light of her wand-tip. Pushing wet hair out of his eyes, he watched her grimly, wand held at the ready. Now he was in for it.

Bellatrix laughed and dried him with a spell. "There is your reward for managing to curse me. Hopefully next time you can keep it up longer," she said with a sneer.

Severus' eyes widened slightly. She wasn't angry, she'd wanted him to do it. What a pity his curse had worn off so quickly, he hadn't known you could throw off the Cruciatus Curse.

"You have to mean it, Severus, you have to really want it to hurt. Surely you knew that?"

"I know it now," he replied gamely. He wouldn't forget.

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Over the next few weeks, Severus continued to receive summonses to late-night meetings in dark, secluded places. Gradually, he became better at locating the stubborn voice. He took to thinking of it as 'the snarky one' and cultivated it whenever he could.

Soon he felt he could listen to it, and throw off the spell voice if he tried, but he bided his time and grew stronger. He fought the spell a little more each time, enough to make Bellatrix know he was trying and not give up on him, not enough to make her really worried. That was the Slytherin way.

Between assignations, he would slip out to the Forest. Hovering just inside its edges, he practiced the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperious Curse on such small creatures as came his way. Pretty soon, the little woodland animals learned to make themselves scarce when he came into the woods. The larger ones kept well out of his way, too.

Severus now spent his free time researching stealth spells. He already knew several ways to silence the sounds of the body; now he found spells to cover scent as well. Next he learned to Disillusion, Reflect, Screen and Dissemble. During the day he practiced slipping around the castle. Even other Slytherins were shocked at how he would suddenly appear, scowling, out of nowhere. They whispered about him amongst themselves, but they never said anything really bad: they were always too afraid he was listening.

At night he practiced stealth as he found different ways to sneak out of the castle. He had some close calls, but never got found out. He now knew exactly who was snogging whom, and how often, and which others they were cheating on. He became adept at spotting overheated couples in dark corners and took sardonic pleasure in rousting them out with a well-placed hex, just when a teacher was passing by.

Inevitably, he ran into Potter and Evans, hiding out behind a rosebush in the garden. He blasted the roses apart, more out of habit than anything else. By now, dark, hooded eyes had replaced emerald green in his late-night fantasies. Lily's unasked-for and unwanted kindness was eclipsed in his mind by an imperious manner which begged to be humbled. Severus thought he was just the wizard to do it.

One evening in April, he strolled right past the caretaker's annoying cat. When he did not so much as twitch a whisker, he knew he was ready.

The next time Bellatrix summoned him for "lessons," it was to go deep into the Forest, late at night. Severus hadn't been afraid of the Forbidden Forest in years; he was quite able to defend himself by now against anything he might run across there. Hopefully even against the woman he was intending to meet.

This time, he waited till he was sure she would be there already before entering the forest. His spells of stealth were already around him, cast before his exit from the castle. Adding a whispered spell for night-seeing, he stepped out of the moonlit meadow and into the night forest. Walking carefully to the specified spot, Severus looked around and watched the small, nocturnal creatures of the forest scampering around looking for nuts and seeds. They would have hidden in a flash if they had sensed his presence, but none did.

Finally, he saw her in the little clearing. Her wand was held at the ready, and she was peering into the trees looking for his approach. Severus circled around and walked right up behind her. He held his wand and watched her for a moment. She had taken off her robe and laid it on the ground nearby. She wasn't nude this evening; she wore a dark green gown, long sleeved and close fitting, made of some fabric that clung to her lush curves as she moved. He admired her tall curved body, that tight ass and her long, thick black hair, which hung unbound to her waist.

He considered her, standing there. He brought up every memory of her: cursing him with pain, forcing him to be a puppet, his lust for her and the way she deliberately fed it, then left him hard and alone, with only her scent remaining on the air. He harnessed all of that, and he felt a dark desire grow in him to hurt her. Yes, he _wanted_ to see her scream in pain, beg him for mercy. He gestured with his wand and snapped_ "Crucio!"_ He watched with pleasure as she howled in pain and fell to her knees.

Severus stepped into the clearing and enjoyed the show as Bellatrix writhed and cursed. He felt her try to throw off the spell, but he drew on the pleasure he was feeling, watching her finally suffering, and his curse held. "Beg me, Bella. Beg me to stop," Snape ordered her, with a cruel curve to his smile.

She laughed harshly at him, and, between gasps, said she'd sooner beg Dumbledore to let her blow him. Severus lips widened into a smile. "Now there's an idea, Bella, but let's leave Dumbledore out of it, shall we?"

He lifted the point of his wand up and away from Bellatrix, releasing the curse, but before he could cast another, she had grabbed her wand from where she'd dropped it and, with the speed of a striking cobra, put him again under the Imperius Curse. _Damn, she was fast!_ Severus thought as he slipped into that mindless place yet again. Bellatrix stood watching him a moment, her breathing was hard and fast, her lips were parted slightly, and there was a hot light shining in her eyes that he'd never seen before.

"Very good, little one, you have demonstrated excellent control of the Cruciatus Curse. There may be hope for you yet." Bella gave him a superior smile. "You will have to learn to be much more alert, though, before I bring you to my Master."

Severus had heard rumors: the Slytherins were whispering of a Dark Lord who had risen and would cleanse their world of Mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors. That would fix Potter and his mudblood girlfriend, that mangy werewolf and also Black, who didn't deserve to be related to the glorious woman who stood before him. Couldn't come a moment too soon if you asked him. Was that what this was about? Was the Dark Lord interested in him? Was that why Bellatrix wanted him to know the Unforgivable Curses? That was very interesting indeed.

While he mused, Bellatrix had decided what she wanted of him this time. He heard the spell voice whisper instructions. This time, though, he also heard the snarky voice. It said, snidely, _that's very nice, but isn't it time you were in charge? _Severus definitely agreed with the snarky voice. With a mental shrug, he shed the silky spell voice like a too-large cloak. Before Bellatrix realized he had thrown off her spell, he turned the tables and cursed her with Imperio.

"Now, what was that you had suggested before? You were going to beg for something?"

Deep-set eyes glittered as Bellatrix dropped sinuously to her knees before him. "Please, Severus, let me take you in my mouth?"

About bloody time, he thought with anticipation, as her long fingers skillfully unbuttoned his trousers and released him to the cool forest air. She opened her mouth and touched him sensuously with her tongue; he closed his eyes and groaned. Opening them again, he saw danger in her eyes and felt her mind shifting under his -- searching for a weak spot in his control. A stray shaft of moonlight glinted off her white teeth.

He gasped now, and not with passion. Was this about to be the dumbest thing he had ever done? If she slipped his spell, would she bite it off? Would he bleed to death before he could get to the hospital wing? Certainly he would -- he'd rather die than go to Madam Pomfrey in that condition. Stark fear lent him strength, and he brought Bella firmly back under control of his spell. He made her take him down into her throat.

"Aahhhh," he sighed, he'd had no idea anything could feel so good. What a pity; fevered as he was, this was going to last at most about five seconds. Bella seemed amused at his reaction, at least she chortled, deep in her chest. The vibration of it in her throat sent him hurtling over the precipice. He staggered with the intensity of his climax, but Bella wrapped her arms around his hips and helped him balance. She drank every last drop, and laughed as he sighed and released the spell he had no more strength to maintain.

"Very good, my little one, we'll make a decent wizard of you yet." Far from being angry, Bella seemed pleased that he had been strong enough to hold her. He knew she had tried her best to throw him; since she hadn't done it, that must mean she couldn't!

Severus kept a grip on his wand and watched her carefully, while he buttoned his trousers with his other hand.

"You have been studying. I wonder what else you've been up to that I don't know about," Bella said, looking at him speculatively. Faster than thought, she whipped her wand at him in a sharp gesture and snapped out another spell, _"Legilimens!"_

Suddenly, Severus felt every horrible, embarrassing, humiliating memory -- of which he had many -- rise to the surface. Scenes of himself being bullied and beaten, tripped and covered in dirt. Dangling upside down with his privates in the breeze, while the whole school laughed at him. Alone in his bed, stroking himself and crying Bella's name as he climaxed._ Merlin's balls, she was seeing all this! _Gathering every scrap of strength he could muster, he threw her out of his mind, and set up a wall there. He'd never heard of this, but he apparently had a natural talent for it; he felt her try to slip around his wall, but knew she failed.

"Better and better, Severus," Bella said with a wicked smile. "I believe you are ready for the next lesson. I will teach you the Avada Kedavra." With that promise, Bella Disapparated with a sharp crack, leaving Severus alone in the small clearing. He felt exultant that he'd finally managed to best her, at least some of the time.

Clearly he would have to work on his speed next; she was so fast it seemed as if thought were action to her, with no time needed for mere physical motion to accomplish it. Speed and a counter-spell to that last one she had cast. What had the word been again? 'Legilimens.' He would arm himself against that spell before he met her again. He would never suffer another to see those memories while he lived.


	3. Final Exam

**Author's Notes:** As advertised, the third chapter brings us to the end of the story. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far; please don't stop now! 

Thanks as always to Verity Brown for being my most excellent beta.

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**Chapter 3: Final Exam**

The next time they met, they didn't stay long on the school grounds. Bellatrix brought a Portkey and had Severus activate it with her. When the rushing sensation and whirling colors had passed, Severus dropped a small distance onto his feet and looked around. They were in a rural setting, a bit further to the south, judging by the way the sun had jumped in the sky. Probably in England. He looked inquiringly at Bellatrix.

"We're on one of the Malfoy estates. No one will bother us here."

Severus raised his eyebrows, impressed. He remembered then that Bellatrix's older sister was married to Lucius Malfoy, so she probably had the run of the place. Not a bad life.

"Ok, what now?" Severus asked.

Bellatrix looked around, there were any number of rabbit and woodchuck holes and other signs of wild fauna around them. Overhead, a squirrel started chattering at them, berating them for standing too close to his tree. Bellatrix looked up at him with a cruel smile.

"Watch me, then you try it." She moved her wand in a subtle pattern then aimed at the squirrel and said,_ "Avada Kedavra."_ Emerald green light flashed from her wand, and the creature toppled off the branch to the ground.

Severus walked over to examine the corpse. He turned it over with the toe of his boot. It bore no marks, except from where it had landed in the dirt. No muss, no fuss, just sudden death in a flash of bright green. Severus was reminded of Evans' eyes. She probably wouldn't care for the comparison, he thought snidely.

"Your turn," Bellatrix said, pointing to a woodchuck peeping out of its hole.

Severus targeted the woodchuck and concentrated. He imitated Bella's wand motion, took aim and cried,_ "Avada Kedavra!"_ A burst of green fire flew from his wand and hit the animal square between the eyes. It leaped into the air and fell to the ground, but before Severus could get closer, it staggered to its paws and flew down its burrow.

"It's like the Cruciatus, Severus. You have to mean it. If you don't really _want_ the fuzzy thing to drop dead, it won't," Bella told him scathingly.

Embarrassed, Severus blasted the woodchuck hole into a small crater.

Bellatrix's voice took on an impatient tone. "Leave the landscape alone, Severus, just try again."

Severus thought about the cool way Bella had dropped the squirrel from the tree. He wanted to have that kind of power for himself. Briefly, he thought back to his boyhood, all the times he'd watched his father beat his mother, and he'd been powerless. He had wished then, desperately, that he could have done anything to hurt his father. He would have killed him if he could. He'd studied hexes and curses on the sly, but had never been strong enough to harm the old man. The best he'd managed was to anger him enough to break Severus' arm. Thankfully, his father had usually forgotten his wand and used his fists when enraged. If Severus had known then half of what he knew now, his mother would still be alive.

Burning with the memory , Severus cast around for his next victim._ Nothing that fluffy deserves to live_, he thought as he cursed a nearby rabbit _"Avada Kedavra!"_ This time, when the light flashed, there was no jump. The rabbit simply slumped onto its splayed paws, dead.

Severus felt an incredible rush with the successful casting of the Killing Curse. He felt filled with dangerous secrets, hidden from mere mortals. Having the power of life or death over other creatures made him feel special and important; he had craved such a feeling all his life. Now, as he felt that power rushing through his body, he felt taller, broader. Not just magically, but physically powerful. Potent. Aroused.

He'd felt a shadow of this feeling whenever he'd cast a Dark spell. Just the hint of it had been enough to keep him studying and practicing. Nothing, not even the Imperius or Cruciatus curses compared to how this felt! He looked at Bellatrix and found her watching him. She knew, of course, what he was feeling. She'd learned it a long time ago, now.

He gave Bellatrix a long speculative look. He'd never bested her when she was prepared, but now he felt as if nothing could stop him. Holding her eyes with his, he drew his wand and stepped back. Bellatrix's lips curved in a wicked smile, and she she dropped gracefully into a fighting stance. Severus bowed and saluted her with his wand.

Spells flew in flashes of multicolored light and fire. No more wildlife remained to be seen; they had all run for cover to escape the noise and flame. The birdsong which had surrounded them was silenced. The very scenery around them held its breath as the wizards dueled.

At different times, each was thrown back to land on the ground, but each recovered instantly and came back for more. Hexes and curses were thrown and blocked; the nearby ground and trees bore scorch-marks, and both combatants had strange wheals from near misses.

Dodging a Stunner, Severus tripped over a rock and fell sideways. Twisting in the air, he sent a blasting hex at the tree-branch above Bella before hitting the ground. Watching his wand hand, she wasn't looking above her, and was knocked down by the falling branch. Seizing the moment, Severus aimed and cried, _"Imperio!"_ Bellatrix, recovering from the blow, dropped her wand and stood, awaiting orders.

Severus panted while he caught his breath and slowly stood. His lank hair dripped with sweat, and his clothes were torn. He smelled earth, human sweat and ozone.

Bellatrix was also breathing hard from the exertion. Her skirt was shredded, the hem was burnt and there was a bleeding cut on her face from where she'd hit the ground hard. She was also flushed with exertion and glowing. She'd never looked lovelier.

He remembered that he'd never seen Bella nude by daylight. She'd only come to him naked the once, that first night, and it had been dark. "Strip," he told her, then stood back, smiling triumphantly, to watch.

Bellatrix gave Severus an enigmatic glance, then unhooked her gown and stepped out of it. Standing in her shift, she removed her shoes and stockings.

Now she wore only the long-sleeved linen shift. It was soaked with sweat and clung to her body, semi-transparent. Severus waited while she pulled it up over her head and dropped it on the ground on top of her other clothes. She stood proudly before him now with the sunlight glinting off the sweat-sheen on her body and her glossy black hair. He drank in the view appreciatively, until his eyes were caught by something red on her left arm.

"Let me see your arm, Bella," Severus ordered her.

With a mocking smile she turned her arm so the inside faced him and stepped forward. An image drawn in ugly red lines, shaped like a snake slithering out of a skull, marred her perfect skin.

"What is that?" he asked her curiously.

"It is the Dark Mark, Severus. By this, my Master has marked me for his own. I bear it proudly, but until he has conquered, I must keep it hidden from unworthy eyes."

"So, I'd be worthy then?" Snape inquired smugly.

"You forced me to show it. Q.E.D."

Severus smiled. With Bellatrix, power was everything.

Reveling in his mastery of the Killing Curse and of Bellatrix, Severus took her there in the field. Exultantly, he made her get on her hands and knees, and entered her swiftly from behind. He didn't pay much attention to pleasuring her; he thought he'd done enough of that over the last months to keep her for a while. This time was his, he had won her and he would claim her as crudely as he chose. Judging by her wild cries and thrashing movements, that was how she liked it best anyway. He smiled to himself.

Sticky and spent, Severus released Bella from the Imperius Curse. She smirked at him like a cat in a dairy as she picked up her clothes and her wand. He didn't worry, he knew her now. He'd won by her rules and she wouldn't be seeking vengeance.

Severus cleaned himself with a quick spell and Apparated back to Hogwarts, appearing just outside Hogsmeade and walking back up the road to the castle. If anyone asked, he could claim to have been in the village. He arrived just in time for dinner and mingled with the other students. He walked a little straighter now, and moved with more grace. He'd left his adolescent slouch behind with the sniveling boy he'd been. The other Slytherins no longer jostled or tripped him; they gave him a wide berth at the table. Slytherins didn't need to be told when someone was possessed of deadly power; they sensed it, and they cowered.

* * *

In the last few weeks before exams, Severus practiced his new skill along with his N.E.W.T. subjects. He moved from small creatures to larger ones: foxes, then deer and even cattle. He left the grounds for this practice; it was not wise to anger the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. Each time he moved to a larger creature, the rush of power he felt at killing grew stronger. Each time, it grew easier to muster the will and desire necessary to make the animal die. He no longer needed to draw on his hatred for his father; he simply wished for death, and it happened. 

His exams went smoothly. Severus had always been a careful student. He was confident he'd done well in Transfiguration, Charms and Arithmancy. Potions, he knew he aced. Even though he found the subject somewhat dull, he had a natural talent for it. His methodical, orderly mind made it easy to brew the potions accurately, and he found the manual tasks soothing. Of course, he had scored perfectly in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had been glad to hear the examiner would only need to spend the one night in St. Mungo's.

The afternoon after his last N.E.W.T. Severus spent honing his stealth skills. It was much harder to hold an effective Disillusion in bright daylight than at night, so of course Severus had to try it. He wandered the gardens in near-invisibility, until he heard a familiar pair of voices:

"How soon do you think we can have the wedding, James?"

_That was Lily Evans' voice! _Severus oozed into the shadow of a large hydrangea and eavesdropped shamelessly.

"Any time is fine with me. How big should it be?"

"I think we should keep it small, just our parents and best friends. Petunia wouldn't come even if we asked her; anyway, it just feels wrong to have a big splashy party when so many people are grieving."

"You're right of course, Lily. You always know the right thing to do."

_Eeeuuuuwwwwww,_ Severus gagged silently in the bushes.

"I don't know, James, sometimes I'm not sure about things. I'd really like to have a baby soon. Is it right, though, to bring a helpless creature into the world, when so many horrible things are happening? What kind of life would he have?"

"He'd have two parents who loved him more than anything. What else does a child need to grow up strong and happy?" James leaned over and kissed Lily; she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It sounds so easy when you say it, James."

Severus didn't think his stomach could take much more of this. He had started sliding silently away, when the conversation took a turn, and he found himself rooted to the spot.

"How many students from our class do you think will join Him?"

"Too many. I'll bet that greasy slime-ball Snape will be the first in line to kiss his boots."

"James Potter! I'm sick to death of hearing you go on like that about Severus. Just give it a rest, already."

"You know it's true, Lil'."

"Maybe so, but if you and Sirius hadn't treated him so badly, maybe it wouldn't have been!"

"Lily, he was up to his ears in the Dark Arts before he even got to Hogwarts. Don't blame us that he's an evil little git. He'd have gone over to You-Know-Who in a heartbeat, even if we'd never met him."

"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" Lily responded scathingly.

This was more than Severus had wanted to hear; he made good his escape and ran down the path towards the lake. How dare that blood-traitor Potter cast judgement on him! Potter hated the Dark Arts because he was too much of a coward to grasp for its power! Him and his stupid Quidditch trophiess and his damned icky-sweet Mudblood girlfriend. No. Mudblood fiancee! Severus felt a stab in his heart that he refused to acknowledge, and stormed furiously down the path. He almost ran over Bellatrix, who was standing there waiting for him by the lake.

"Eager for your final exam, Severus?" Bellatrix asked. Severus looked startled; he hadn't gotten an owl.

"No, I didn't send a note," she answered his unspoken question. "I just figured you'd be walking down this way, but I didn't expect you to be Disillusioned. Convenient though. Come with me."

She had two brooms with her and handed him one, then cast Disillusion over herself. Severus mounted his broom. He still wasn't up to complex aerobatics, but at least he was competent to get places. He followed Bellatrix into the sky and, after a time, landed next to her in field that looked like it belonged to a Muggle farm.

Severus stood between the long rows of potato hills and looked around. They were in a rural part of Scotland, but well away from Hogwarts.

"There's your final test, Severus," Bellatrix said, pointing at a Muggle farmhand walking up a nearby road.

Severus gripped his wand; he had known it would come to this eventually, and he was ready. There was no such thing as Good and Evil. Only power, and those too weak to seek it. Still seething with anger and aching with a pain he would not admit, Severus lifted his wand, gestured with it in the subtle movement of the killing spell and aimed. _"Avada Kedavra!"_ he said harshly. Emerald fire flashed. The man barely had time to register surprise before he dropped heavily to the ground, unmoving. Severus had expected to feel some kind of remorse, but was shocked to find he felt none -- only a kind of cold joy, buoyed by the incredible feeling of invincibility the killing spell always gave him. He lowered his wand and turned to Bellatrix.

"Excellent, Severus, I knew you would make me proud," she smiled. It was the closest thing to warmth he'd ever seen from her.

"You could be one of us, you are strong enough. Someday, He will rule the magical world, even the entire world. You are clever, Severus, you know which will be the winning side. If you join the Dark Lord, and serve him, when that day comes, he will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."

"What kind of reward?" Snape asked her speculatively. His arousal from the aftermath of the deadly magic vied with more practical ambitions.

"How does 'Lord Snape, of Snape Manor' sound to you?"

"Farfetched," Snape answered with a grin, "but I like it."

"I thought it would." Bella smiled knowingly, but then her face became serious again. "I have to warn you, though. If you take service with the Dark Lord, he will be your Master as long as you live. The only way to leave his service is through death. Be certain this is what you want, wholly and without reservation. The Dark Lord will know if you are lying. No one can lie to him undetected. This is your only chance to back out and live. Will you come?"

Severus did not hesitate. Finally he would be respected as he deserved. "Yes, I will."

"Very well, then. Take this, it's a Portkey; be sure you are touching it at midnight."

Severus took the madly whirling sneakoscope from her with a laugh and pocketed it.

* * *

That night, just before midnight, Severus sat up in his bed with the curtains closed. He was fully dressed, complete to boots and cloak. He held the sneakoscope Portkey in his hand. He was thinking about Bella's warning about lying to the Dark Lord. He didn't think he would have any particular reason to do so, but he preferred to keep his options open. 

He had not wasted his time since Bellatrix had used the 'Legilimens' spell on him. Once he knew such a thing existed, he did not rest till he had learned all he could from the books available. He had discovered a few mentions of an arcane art called Occlumency in the restricted section, and he had studied them carefully. The wall he had thrown up instinctively in his mind to block Bellatrix's attack was the first and easiest step. To lie, undetected, to a skilled Legilimens was more complex. It required thinking in two layers, with the top layer in agreement with the lie, and the wizard's true thoughts underneath. Severus had been intrigued and had practiced as best he could. He hoped his skill would not be tested. If it was, he hoped that it was enough.

At midnight precisely, he felt the familiar tugging at his middle and saw the whirl of colors of the Portkey transfer. When it ended, he dropped to his feet and found himself surrounded by trees. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Bellatrix was standing next to him.

Ahead, a little way through the trees, there was a clearing lit by a bonfire. A small group of figures in dark cloaks and white masks stood around the fire. Bellatrix took Severus' hand and pulled him forward into the clearing. The Death Eaters already there stepped aside to make room for him.

A new figure entered the clearing from the other side; he had glowing red eyes and mere slits for nostrils. When they saw him, the masked figures prostrated themselves on the ground. Bellatrix grabbed Severus' arm and tugged him down. He lay on his stomach in the dirt like the rest.

That unnatural and unnamed person walked forward and raised Bellatrix to her feet. "Bella, my love," the figure said caressingly in a high, sibilant voice. "I understand you have brought us a potential new member."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Has he passed all the tests?"

"Yes, Master. He passed them handily."

"Excellent. And did you tell him what would be expected?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Then you may present him to me."

Bellatrix stepped back and signaled with her toe that Severus should rise to his knees. He did so, wisely keeping his gaze on the ground.

Voldemort strode forward and stood before Severus. "You may look at me." Severus raised his eyes curiously. The Dark Lord stood so close that he was forced to crane his head back to look into the monstrous face. Two eyes that glowed like red embers bored into his. He felt an alien touch insinuating itself into his mind. He hung onto the image of thought that he had crafted and felt it hold.

"Do you believe that Mudbloods and half-bloods have no place in our world?"

Severus knew the expected answer: "I do."

"Do you hate the blood traitors who would allow them an equal place?"

An image of Potter's face flashed across Severus' mind. "I do."

"Would you exterminate every last Mudblood from the face of the earth?"

Before Severus could answer, another image took Potter's place. A pair of startling green eyes that held kindness. Her, he would spare. He could not agree. Now he was in trouble. Too late to back out; if he lied, would he escape detection? Only one way to find out: "Yes."

"Will you serve me faithfully?" Severus heaved a great inward sigh of relief. He had lied, and the Dark Lord had not known it. That was very good to know.

"Yes."

"Give me your arm then, and receive my Mark."

Severus held out his left arm. Voldemort took it and pushed back the sleeve. Taking Severus' arm in his left hand, and his wand in his right, Voldemort touched the wand-tip to the inside of Severus' arm and hissed a spell. Severus cried out in pain as his arm burned like fire, but he did not pull it away. When the spell was complete, Voldemort stepped back with a grunt of satisfaction.

"Until I have conquered, you must keep my Mark hidden. When you feel it burn, Apparate at once. The Mark will bring you to my side."

Voldemort then spoke to the Death Eaters still prostrate on the ground. He told them all to rise and greet their new brother. They stood and removed their masks.

"These are the Death Eaters you will work with," Voldemort told Severus. "There are others, but you will not know how many or who they are. When we all gather, my servants remain masked from each other. This is to keep any from being able to betray the whole."

Severus looked around; there was Lucius Malfoy, and Rodolphus Lestrange, and another man, a foreigner, whom he did not recognize. He wondered what Rodolphus would think of what Severus had been up to with his betrothed. Severus shrugged; he guessed Rodolphus had known all about it. Anyone who got too possessive of Bella probably wouldn't live to regret it.

* * *

Severus sat among his fellow Slytherins at the Leaving Feast. Despite the warm weather, he wore long, close sleeves under his student robes. Dumbledore was making his usual foolish speech. Severus rubbed his arm idly; the fresh Mark itched annoyingly. 

The House Cup was awarded to Gryffindor, naturally. Severus ignored the bright red banners and dug into the food that had appeared on the table. Roast turkey with gravy and masses of side dishes. It all smelled delicious. He heaped his plate and savored the meal. With a sigh of rare contentment, he finally looked up from his plate and around at his fellow students. He had mistakenly sat on side of the table that faced the Gryffindors. Unfortunately, it was too late now to change. Every time he looked up, he saw Potter and Evans making googly eyes at each other and feeding each other morsels from their plates. They were planning to breed, he recalled. That notion was enough to make anyone lose their appetite.

Severus turned his face from the nauseating sight and looked determinedly away. To distract himself, he fixed his gaze on the staff table. Looking up the row of teachers, he was startled to find that Dumbledore was looking straight at him. There was no shadow of a twinkle in the piercing blue eyes that bored into his own black ones. He felt, briefly, stripped bare and found sadly wanting.

Angrily, he picked up his fork, stabbed it into his food and took another bite. The roast turkey, which had been delicious until now, was suddenly dry and tasteless, and stuck in his throat.

At the head table, Dumbledore said nothing, but looked sad and deeply troubled.

-- The End --


End file.
